2112

Rush is a tough group for me to review. I usually have to be in a specific mood to listen to them. And believe it or not, I became a fan of Rush with Counterparts, which many on this site claim to be a horrendous album. Having said all that, here are my thoughts on 2112:

2112 is perhaps Rush's most progressive work. The epic first track (2112) is the headliner and most compelling song on this album. I'm not sure whether it's the music or the story which is so vividly captures the imagination (perhaps it's both). The music of this first track has tons of catchy melodies in the various parts and the story really comes alive and takes you to another time and place. I love the imagery of the young man in the damp cave with the newly discovered instrument and the wonder that is spawned as his senses are awakened to music.

A Passage to Bangkok follows and does a fairly decent job of continuing the musical momentum that was created with 2112. A Passage showcases some of the nice sounds that can be made with Peart's drums and Lifeson's guitar. This song was popular enough that it usually made it into Rush's concert rotations even to this day.

The Twilight Zone is definitely a step-back in my opinion as the music does not quite deliver like the first two songs. However, the song ends with a pretty clever guitar solo which is mildly haunting.

Lessons is the fourth song and is a typical Rush song with driving power chords from Lifeson and Geddy screaming during the chorus, with a more acoustic sound during the verses. There really isn't much here as far as I am concerned.

Now Tears is another story. This contemplative ballad has some beautiful music and is not what you would typically expect out of Rush. Is that a mellotron I hear floating in over the chorus? (Yes, I do believe it is!) This is a nice change of pace and is the only thing that keeps the second half of this album from going off into oblivion (in my opinion, of course).

Something for Nothing is the last track on the album. It starts nice enough with some nifty interplay between the bass and an acoustic guitar. However, the rest of the song sounds like a lot of screaming to me as Geddy's vocals and Lifeson's guitar try to outdo each other. What is a shame is that Geddy's bass and Peart's drumming (both very good on this song) seem to get lost in the midst of the "shouting match."

Overall I would rate this album a 3.4 on the strength of 2112, A Passage to Bangkok and Tears. The rest of the songs just don't do anything for me. While I would love to give this album four stars for 2112 alone, the second half of the album really drags the overall rating down.